Aerial tramway



(No mnniel.)y s sheensheet 1. A. H. DE CAMP. AERIAL'TRAMWAY.

No. 469,908.l

Patented Mar. 1, 1892.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A, H. DE CAMP. AERIAL TRAMWAY.

No. 469,908. 'Patented Mar. 1, '1892.

., muvo-mno., msmunrou, u. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. H. DE CAMP. AERIAL TRAMWAY.

No. 469,908. Patented Mar. l, 1892.w

ALFRED Il. DE CAMP, OF BOONTON, NE W JERSEY.

AERIALl TRAMWAY.

Y SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 469,908, dated March1, 18.92.

Application led May 6. 1890. Serial No. 350,950. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. DE CAMP, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Boonton, in the county of Morris and State of NewJersey, haveinvented certain new and useful'lmprovements in AerialTramways, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to simplif y the construction andincreasethe efficiency of aerial tramways.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the gures.

Figure l represents a front elevation of a tramway embodying parts of'my invention. Fig. 2 is -a side elevation and part section of tramwayand support, showing the general arrangement ot the parts. Fig. 3 is aside View of the upper part of one of the supportingposts, showing howthe track issupported and protected. Fig. 4. is a front view of Fig. 3,showing the rail and its protecting parts in section and a car-wheelpassing over the same. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line e cof Fig.3, showing howA the protecting-pieces are secured to the rails. Fig. 0is a side view showing how the equalizing-weights are secured to therails. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on theline Z2 h of Fig. 6, showingmethod of securing the cqualizing devices to the rails. Fig. 8 is a sideview of upper partv of a supporting-post, showing one rail laid uponanother in the same supporting-wheel. Fig. 9 is anl elevation showingthe general features of a tramway of this sort and the relation ofintermediate tension-weights to each other and to the general system.

Any suitable supporting-frame for maintaining the rails of this tramwayin an elevated position may be used.Y That shown in Fig. l, consistingof the uprights A A A, braces B B, cross-braces C C', and rollers D Dfor carrying the drawing-cable, is essentially the same as that shown inmy application for United States Letters Patent, dated April 23, 1890.The uprights A A A in this case, however, are provided on their innersides, near their tops, with the wheels E, upon which wheels or rollersthe rails of the tramway rest. These rollers are pivotally mounted uponthe short shafts E', which shafts are supported at one end by the posts,which they enter, and at the other end by the bent arms E, securelybolted to the posts below the wheels, as by bolts e e, and extendingupward to the opposite side of wheels E sufficiently to receive theinner ends of shafts E', as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The rollers E areflanged to a depth greater than the depth of the rail, as shown in Fig.4, where the rail F is seen inclosed between the flanges, as well as alike section F beneath the rail, while the section of F is shown asabove the flanges. The method of combining these three parts F F F atthe supports will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 3, 4, and'5. The piece F, looped at both ends to receive the bolts or rivets g,Figs. 3 and 5, rests directly on the roller E. Upon F rests the rail Fof the tramway, and as it bears with considerable weight at all times itwill be seen that there willbe no longitudinal slip between the rail andF', provided the wheel E turns t'reely on its shaft, but they will playback and forth upon the wheel as one. As the tramway rail is includedbetween the wheel-flanges, Fig. ,of course lateral displacement of thesame is prevented. The piece F lies above the rail and F, and is secured,to each as follows: rlhe inverted loop G, Figs.

3 and 5, with its upper part and two dependent sides loosely inclosesthe rail F on three sides. The rivet g, secured transversely in. eachdependent side of G, passes loosely through the loop in F. The rivets gg rigidly secure the piece F to the upper side of the loop G. Theadjacent ends of F F at both sides of the supporting-rollers areconnected together by the loops G G encircling the rail, theirrespective ends being secured to the loops, as described, and shown inFig. 3. The loops and the ends of F secured in the loops are notsupposed to bind the rail, so that when bent by loads passing over therewill be neitherbuckling nor undue strain in either F or F. F is taperedat its ends, as shown in Fig. 3, to afford easy passage of the wheels ofthe car from the rail to it and from it to the rail, and is also of.sufficient depth or thickness to elevate the flanges of the carwheels Kover the flanges of the supportingwheels E, Fig. 4, performing the sameoftice, of course, when the car-wheels have to pass over the loops G,Fig. 5.

IOC

The method of attaching what I call the' equalizing-weights to the railsand to the frame will be readily understood by reference to Figs. l, 2,6, and 7. The ropes H are secured to the rails at some distance from thesupports. Leading back to the supports they pass over pulleys H',suitably supported in the frame-work, and have attached to theirdependent ends weights or weight-boxes H Figs. l and 2. rlhe pulleys Hare mounted Within the fran'le-work, one below each rail, Fig. l. Saidpulleys are so mounted as not to interfere with the passage ol" cars Kthrough the ben ts, as seen in Fig. 1. The method preferred for mountingthem is also shown-viz., the shaft H passing across the bent from sideto side and secured to the upright posts horizontally in any convenientway. sinfallslreaves h for carrying the `hauling-cable may also bemounted 'directly on t-his shaft, if preferred, in bents having thisattachment, as shown in Fig. 1. All `the pulleys can of course Irevolvefreely on said shaft, and may be prevented :from lateral play `by anylof the Well-known methods.

The dependent ends ofthe chains or ropes H may be secured to theWeight-boxes Hin any convenient way. The method of securing theiroutward ends to the rails will be understood byreference to Figs. 6 and7. There it will be seen a bar I, Iof the same width as the rail andhaving an eye 1 formed in one endfis "bound to the under-side o'f therail by tire clips J, hav-ing screw-threaded `ends passing-through thecross-bars -J below the eyepiece. It will be readily seen that bysetting upthe nuts j, with which the screw-threaded en'ds of the*clips-J are provided, the rail 'and the eye-.piece become clampedtogether between-tire cross-bars 'and the upper part of the clips. Tothe upper sides uof the clips, above the rails,the pieces J ",lravingtapered ends, Fig. 6, are riveted to enable the wheels of cars to :passsmoothly over said clips. In the reye I of the piece I the chain or ropeH may be readily secured by anyof the Wellknown methods, Fig. 6, thusmaking the courr'eetion between the rails F and weight-boxes IIcompl-ete.

By reference to Fig. S it will `beseen that cnerail F may be 'laid aboveanother F, each supposed to be secured at the terminals of the tramway,las `hereinafter described. This arrangement `of the rails will be foundof great benefit in linesdesigned to carry very heavy loads, theplacinfgof one rail above the other preserving the advantages lof the-shallowsec tion of each, whilegreat strength of rail may b'e attained withoutunduly widening it and the tread of car-Wheels.

lItis evident that, if desired, the protectingpieces F F may tbe:applied as well to a double rail of this description and in the-sameway :as to a `single rail. It isalso evident, Fig. `8, thata singlepieceF above may rbc `applied to the tramway-rail, if desired, andsecured thereto at one side of the support by The' the inclosing clip L,which cli p would be similar to that shown fully in section, Fig. 7, andat the other side of the support by a similar clip with the nuts,preferably not set up tight. The clip which would be tightened would beon that side of the support toward which the cars approach. The toppiece F", Fig. 8, would have taper ends and be secured to each clipiirmlythe same as to the loops in Fig. 5 or as to clips in Fig. 7. It isalso evident that the top and bottom rail can be secured together asoften as desired between supports by similar clips bearing top covers,as in Fig. o'.

The operation is as follows: The rails are supposed to be linedimmovable at one end (to the left in Figs. 2, 3, and f6) and fat theother to be `connectezlover suitable pulleys to dependent weights, as'clearly set forth in my application for Letters Patent, *dated April23, 1890, the composite rail formed `of one rail laid above anothersimilar rail being treated in this regard the same as a rail of only onemember. There `are supposed to be a number of supports for `the railssimilar t-o the ones shown in Figs. l 'and 2, but not neoessarily havingany such equalizing arrangement as here shown. Therewould be naturallysome of these supports both to theright and left `of Fig. 2, the`weighted or movable ends of the rails being to the right. If themovable weighted ends of the rails are to the right, it is evident thata car passing `over the rails from 'right to left would each successivespan it traversed be `able to raise the weights attached to the rails atthe terminal to the right a less height 'each span because of thefriction lof mov-ing the `railsover the supports to the right. If theweights H, `attached to the rails F, are 'drawing to the left with aforce equal to the resistance due to friction i-n the supports to theright, itlis evident that after the car has passed to the 'left ot'thesupport it will, assisted by ther-weights H, again raise the terminalWeights to the samedegrec it did when passinrgiover the spaunearest theWeighted ends. It is Ialso evident that similar weights can be arrangedin separate supports, one set draw-ing toward the right and the othertoward the left, as IIFII in Fig. 9, stretching the intervening spans`with greater tension, without in any way interfering with the generalmovements `of the track. The protecting-pieces F F are shown =as#extending but a short distance to the leftin Fig. 3. That beingsupposed to be the direction of vthe immovable ends of theraifls, iftris 'evident that the track cannot travel to the right. While a numberof cars to .thelef-t-may'oause the rails to move from right to -left aconsiderable distance, the piecesF F are extended to the right 'thereforaisuiicient distance, so that the clips by which -theyare `connected maynot come in `contact withthe support.

Theadvantage of rollers instead Aof sliding surfaces for the supportslisevident.

The advantage of having the pieces F F ICO below and above the rail atthe support is that the rail is-protected from the concussion of thewheels of carspassingthe supports and is also prevented sharp bending,the said pieces being preferably spring-steel.

The rail or rails, if more than one is used, is preferably of the designshown and claimed in myUnited StatesLetters Patent, No. 411,584, datedSeptember 24, 1889, and jointed as set forth in my application, datedApril 23, 1890,

already referred to.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In an aerial tramway, a composite rail consisting of several likemembers laid in the supports one directly over the other, substantiallyas set forth. Y

2. In an aerial tramway, a composite rail formed of two or more similarrails laid one above the other in the supports, each member consistingof strips of less vertical measurement than any other dimension,substantially as set forth.

3. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with a composite rail formedof two or more similar rails laid in the supports one above the other,of clips encircling and clamping the members, and riders secured totheupper sides of said clips, substantially as set forth.V

4. In anaerial tramway, the combination, with upright supporting-posts,of shafts E', secured in said posts, rollers E, pivotally mounted onsaid shafts, and the .tramwayrails resting upon Asaid rollers,substantially as shown and described.

5. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with upright supporting-posts,of the upright arms E", secured to said posts,.the horizontal shafts E',secured in the upright arms and in the posts, the supporting-rollers E,mounted upon said shafts and revolving thereon, and the tramway-railresting upon said rollers, substantially as set forth.

6. In an aerial tramway havingthe rails so spaced horizontally that thebody of the oar may pass between, the combination therewith ofslidingsupports for the rails and the rails, substantially as shown anddescribed.

'7. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with a suitable frame havingattached to it iianged supports for the tramway-rails, in which therails may freely slide, of the loopended piece F', resting in and uponsaid flanged way, the rail F, resting upon said loop-ended piece F andbetween the flanges ofthe support, the loops G, having the transverserivets g, secured in their sides and passing through the loops in endsof F', and the piece F", resting above the rail F and secured near itstapered ends to the loops G, substantially as set forth.

8. In an aerial tramway having supports in which ythe rails may freelyslide, the coinbination, with said supports, of the rail resting uponthe supports between their flanges, and a covering-piece mounted abovesaid rail and support and secured directly to the rail by clips, rivets,clip-bars, and nuts, substantially as set forth. y

9. In an aerial' tramway having rails anchored at one end and stretchedby weights or their equivalent attached to the other end, thecombination therewith of intermediate weights acting through pulleys andropes secured to the rails, substantially as set forth.

10. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with the rails forming thetrack and suitably supported, of the intermediate weights H", suitablysupported and secured to the rails, substantially as set forth. y

11. In an aerial tramway, the combination, with the frame and supportsfor the rails,with the rails resting in said supports, of pulleys H',suitably mounted below the rails, ropes or chains passing over saidpulleys and having weights attached to their depending ends and theiroutward ends secured to the rails, the eye-piece I, to which said ropesare secured, the cross-bars J', the clips J, having screw-threaded endspassing through said cross-bars and provided with the nuts j, and thepiece J", with tapered ends, secured to the upper sides of said clips,substantially as set forth.

12. In an aerial tramway, as a means of stretching intermediate portionsof the track with greater power, the weights H", secured to ropes H andheld dependent by them, the

ALFRED H. DE CAMP. Witnesses:

E. A. DE CAMP, MARY A. DE CAMP.

IOO

IIO

